MLC softball picks up two wins

April 6, 2014

VADNAIS HEIGHTS - The Martin Luther College softball team won both its games on day one of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Crossover at the Vadnais Dome on Saturday, defeating North Central 13-5 and Northwestern 8-1.

The Knights scored at least once in every inning on the way to a 13-5 win over North Central in the opener.

MLC finished the game with 17 hits, with Sara Willems leading the way with three hits, including two home runs, and five runs batted in. Willems hit a solo home run in the fifth, a two-run home run in the sixth, and then capped her performance with a two-run single in a four-run top of the seventh inning for the Knights to help put the Rams away.

Maggie Schultz also had a big game at the plate with four hits and two RBIs, while Emily Wessel, Andrea Biedenbender, Morgan Kumbier and Caity Seastrand each had two hits in the game for MLC.

Kelli Doell pitched a complete game to earn the win for the Knights, improving her record to 4-1 on the season after allowing five runs on nine hits while striking out three.

MLC scored twice in the top of the first inning to take an early lead and never looked back in an 8-1 win over Northwestern to close day one.

Kathryn Marquardt allowed one run in the bottom of the first inning, but settled down to shut the Eagles down the rest of the way and improve to 4-2 on the season.

Emily Waldek, Wessel and Willems each had a pair of hits for MLC, while Biedenbender had two RBI to lead the team in that category.

With the two wins, the Knights bumped their record to 9-4 on the season, and improved their conference record to 3-0.

MLC will return to action at the Vadnais Dome at 12 p.m. Sunday when it plays St. Scholastica and Northland.